Crossrail (1)

Gareth Bacon: What is the current proposed start date for Trial Running for Crossrail?

The Mayor: Crossrail confirmed following its board on 23 July that the opening of the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood next summer, as announced earlier this year prior to COVID-19, is not achievable.
Further work is required on the detailed recovery plan which re-sequences the remaining work to complete the railway and fully assess the financial implications of COVID-19 on the programme. A more comprehensive update will be issued in due course; work continues to refine and validate the remaining work schedule and associated costs.

Tree felling by TfL (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your reply to question 2018/1300 please provide an update for the number of street trees felled by TfL since 2016 with a breakdown of the figures showing the reasons why the trees were cut down and whether or not they were replaced. Please also specify how many trees were felled alongside London Underground lines since 2016.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has recently made significant progress in increasing its street tree numbers.
The number of streets trees removed, replaced and new since 2016/17 is detailed below.
Year
Removed
Replaced
New
16/17
757
757
416
17/18
632
147
192
18/19
530
321
5
19/20
352
130
860
In 2019/2020, TfL also planted an additional 414 trees on TfL land next to highways. Where trees were not replaced within the same financial year, they were either replaced the following year or trees were planted in different locations if a direct replacement was not possible.
In 2018/19, TfL begun cataloguing all street trees on its removal register rather than mature trees only as was previously reported. The reason for each street tree removal since 2018/19 is listed below.
Year
3rd Party Damage
Developer
Natural Causes
Insurance Claim
Safety
Scheme
18/19
7
131
275
1
43
73
19/20
3
17
157
0
161
14
Alongside London Underground lines, since 2016/17, TfL has felled approximately 5,900 trees with only a small proportion being mature trees. TfL is still collating the final figures for 2019/20 and expects these to be available later this year.
Please also see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/1617.

ULEZ expansion

Gareth Bacon: According to the TfL Board minutes in January 2020, TfL has continued to regularly engage with affected boroughs in regard to the planned ULEZ expansion next October. What borough Leaders have TfL met with and what further engagement and consultation is planned for affected areas?

The Mayor: Since January 2019, Transport for London (TfL) has briefed eight London borough Leaders about the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion.
In addition, TfL has also started a targeted borough engagement programme with borough officers. Since autumn 2019, it has initiated contact and conducted 52 meetings with London’s boroughs and City of London.
TfL is continuing to engage with borough officers, cabinet members and London Councils through regular updates, meetings and presentations. The next stages of this engagement will focus on reaching out to London’s diverse communities.
Should any borough leaders, cabinet members or ward councillors want a personal briefing, TfL would be happy to arrange this.

Air pollution after lockdown (2)

Leonie Cooper: What work will be undertaken this year to continue reducing pollution from London’s bus fleet? Could this be accelerated?

The Mayor: Almost 95 per cent of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) bus fleet already meets the ultra-low Euro VI or better standard. Every retrofitted Euro VI bus helps to cut the most harmful tailpipe emissions from those vehicles by up to 85 per cent. The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed work to upgrade the remaining buses to the Euro VI emission standard or better as activity in the retrofit suppliers and bus manufacturers market paused during lockdown. However, both markets are gradually remobilising.
TfL is now working safely and as fast as possible to begin retrofitting or upgrading buses again. Delivery of my target of having 2,000 electric buses in the fleet by 2025 is still on track but relies on funding support from the Government. There is no obvious scope for accelerating this without additional funding. I will continue to work with the Department for Transport as it aims to introduce 4,000 zero emission buses across the UK.